The Gifts I Received from Infusionsoft

The Gifts I Received from Infusionsoft

The Gifts I Received from Infusionsoft2016-07-272017-05-24http://www.heatherdopson.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/HD-Logo1.jpgHeather Dopsonhttp://www.heatherdopson.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/HD-Logo1.jpg200px200px

Today marks the two year anniversary of the day I was unceremoniously let go from Infusionsoft. I was completely blindsided by the termination from a company I considered a living, breathing entity and poured blood, sweat and tears into. The night before, I had been up until 2am responding to international partners who had taken to social media to air their displeasure with an update that night. Adding to the shock, was I was not even allowed to walk back to my desk — I was escorted out to my car. I then sat in the parking lot and burst into tears. I was devastated. Infusionsoft was my life.

At least I thought it was.

As I sit writing this, I’m thinking about that parking lot moment and it becomes so real to me all over again. A veil of tears cascading down my face, terrified. I was so angry at the way it happened. If you’ve ever been so stunned you’re speechless you understand what I was experiencing in that moment. I was so worried about what people would think when I told them I’d been fired from a company people were scrambling to work at. I had no idea what I was going to do. I was completely lost.

Once I broke through the wall of anger, I realized all the incredible gifts I had received during the time I worked there. While I had worked hard to build the brand of ‘Heather Dopson’ before becoming responsible for social operations at Infusionsoft, working for an internationally recognized company that was in alignment with my passion for helping small businesses exposed me to an entirely different audience. I was fortunate to have direct, honest, intimate conversations with leaders many employees at a multi-million dollar company never get. Working directly with the executive team gave me incredible insight into strategic planning methodology that I not only use in my business, but also share with clients and colleagues today.

The absolute most precious thing I got out of working at Infusionsoft is my relationship with coworkers. Something magical happens when people come together for something they believe in. While I used to think I’d left this type of camaraderie behind in my military and law enforcement days, I’ve learned any group of people passionately dedicated to a mission can become very close.

What Infusionsoft gave me was this incredible n̶e̶t̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ community of industry professionals and friends. A few weeks ago I spent the weekend in San Diego with a group of brilliant friends. When I say brilliant, I mean it. The work these guys do, the ideas they execute and the commitment they have to success of those around them is unparalleled. I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky to be friends with them.

As I sat one night during dinner, for a brief moment, I was observing the conversation instead of participating in it and I was in awe. I realized the absolute ONLY reason I know them is because we all worked together at Infusionsoft. We came from different backgrounds. We have different lifestyles, interests and hobbies. There would have been little chance we would have ever run into each other in the ‘real world’. Although my gratitude for my time working at Infusionsoft was already great, in that moment, with that realization, it grew three sizes like the Grinch’s heart.

As I look at the people in my life who offer the greatest support professionally and personally, so many of them come from my time at Infusionsoft. I can be nothing but grateful for that.

Despite my departure, I continue to enjoy a great relationship with the brand, partners and employees. I’m part of this little club of ex-Infusionites who have left for various reasons — many of them pushed out the door like I was. I look past the one moment of me getting fired (by the way, no one cares I got I fired, just like Dennis Yu told me) and focus on all the great things that happened while I was there and everything wonderful that has happened since.

If you find yourself having your own parking lot moment, I encourage you to take the advice my friend Michael R. Hunter gave me shortly after I was let go. He told me I got to have 48 hours to be pissed off, sad, scared — whatever emotions I wanted to experience. Once that 48 hours was up — it was time to pack it away and move forward.

Getting fired can be painful. It can be terrifying. I promise you — it isn’t the end of the world. Look for the gifts.